The Coast Guard is making technical amendments to its vessel documentation regulations. A Certificate of Documentation, which is required for the operation of a vessel in certain trades, serves as evidence of vessel nationality, and permits a vessel to be subject to preferred mortgages. The amendments make non-substantive edits to align Coast Guard regulations with current vessel documentation statutes, correct typographical errors, and align procedural requirements with current Coast Guard practice.

Comments and related material must either be submitted to the online docket via http://www.regulations.gov on or before June 1, 2015 or reach the Docket Management Facility by that date.

46 CFR Part 67

Summary

The Coast Guard seeks public comment on whether to increase the period of validity for renewing endorsements on Certificates of Documentation. A separate fee of $26 for annual renewals of endorsements upon the Certificate of Documentation was established in a recent rulemaking. The Coast Guard is considering options for implementing multiyear renewals and updating the fee for services, and seeks information on factors to consider when implementing these changes.

The Coast Guard published a final rule in the Federal Register on September 29, 2014, that made non-substantive corrections throughout Title 46 of the Code of Federal Regulations. In that final rule, the Coast Guard revised a paragraph by substituting an incorrect word with one that was presumed correct. The substitution is actually incorrect, and the original word was correct. This correction resolves that error by replacing the word that we incorrectly removed.

The Coast Guard is issuing a final rule that makes non-substantive changes throughout Title 46 of the Code of Federal Regulations. The purpose of this rule is to make conforming amendments and technical corrections to Coast Guard regulations. This rule will have no substantive effect on the regulated public. These changes are provided to coincide with the annual recodification of Titles 46 and 49 on October 1, 2014.

The Coast Guard is amending its regulations to separately list an annual fee for renewals of endorsements upon the Certificate of Documentation. We are required to establish user fees for services related to the documentation of vessels. This final rule will separately list a fee of $26 to cover the current costs of the vessel documentation services provided by the Coast Guard.

Comments and related material must either be submitted to our online docket via http://www.regulations.gov on or before May 3, 2013 or reach the Docket Management Facility by that date.

46 CFR Part 67

Summary

The Coast Guard proposes to amend its regulations to separately list an annual fee for renewals of endorsements upon the Certificate of Documentation. The Coast Guard is required to establish user fees for services related to the documentation of vessels. This proposed rule would separately list a fee of $26 to cover the current costs of the vessel documentation services provided by the Coast Guard.

This final rule makes non-substantive changes throughout Titles 46 and 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations. The purpose of this rule is to make conforming amendments and technical corrections to Coast Guard shipping and transportation regulations. This rule will have no substantive effect on the regulated public. These changes are provided to coincide with the annual recodification of Titles 46 and 49 on October 1, 2012.

On March 13, 2012, the Coast Guard denied the December 9, 2010 petition to amend 46 CFR 67.177.

46 CFR Part 67

Summary

On February 25, 2011, the Coast Guard published a document seeking comments on a petition for rulemaking to amend the Coast Guard regulation concerning foreign-rebuilt determinations for vessels entitled to a coastwise trade endorsement. Under the Jones Act, to maintain a coastwise trade endorsement, a vessel must not be rebuilt outside the United States. This document responds to the comments we received on our February 25, 2011 request for comments, and announces the availability of our response to the petitioners denying their petition.